Drill Bit

By :
B. Ramesh
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering,
St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Chennai-119
Ph.D. Research Scholar
College of Engineering, Guindy campus,
Anna University,
Chennai-25.

1
Drill bits are cutting tools used to create cylindrical holes. Bits are held in a tool
called a chuck, which rotates them and provides torque and axial force to create
the hole. Specialized bits are also available for non-cylindrical-shaped holes.

The drilling process is primarily used to produce cylindrical holes. Through

various tools (twist drills, combination drills, spade drills, etc.) different hole
shape can be produced as cylindrical holes, drilled and counterbored, drilled and
countersunk, multiple diameter holes, etc.

From top to bottom: Spade, lip and

spur (brad point), masonry bit and
twist drill bits

2
• Drilling is most common single
machining operation
• Drilling makes up 25% of
machining
• Drilling occurs at the end of a tool
within the material, four actions
take place a the drill tip
– A small hole is formed by the
web—chips are not cut here in
the normal sense.
– Chips are formed by the
rotating lips.
– Chips are removed from the
hole by the screw action of the
helical flutes.
– The drill is guided by lands or
margins that rub against the
walls of the hole
Types of drills :

– Twist drill: most

common drill

– Step drill: produces

holes of two or
more different
diameters

– Core drill: used to

make an existing
hole bigger

4
 23/64” Drill 0.375” Reamer

Counterbore tool Countersink tool

Center Drill
7/32” Drill

5
5
Types of holes can be made:

– through holes, in which the drill exits the opposite side of the work
– blind holes , in which the drill does not exit

(a) (b)

Figure depicting
(a) through holes
and (b) blind holes

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The figure below illustrates the various operations related to drilling.

(a) Reaming
(b) Tapping
(c) Counterboring
(d) Countersinking
(e) Center drilling
(f) Spot facing

7
 Operations Related to Drilling
• Reaming: Reaming is used to slightly enlarge a hole, to provide a
better tolerance on its diameter and to improve its surface finish. The
tool is called a reamer and it usually has straight flutes.

Tapping: This operation is performed by

an tap and is used to provide internal
screw threads on an existing hole.

Counterboring: Counterboring provides a stepped hole, in which

a larger diameter follows a smaller diameter partially into the hole.
A counterboring hole is used to seat bolt heads into a hole so the
heads do not protrude above the surface.
 Operations Related to Drilling
• Countersinking: This is similar to Counterboring, except that the
step in the hole is cone-shaped for flat head screws and bolts.

Centering: Also called center drilling, this

operation drills a starting hole to
accurately establish its location for
subsequent drilling. This tool is called a
centerdrill.

Spotfacing: Spotfacing is similar to milling. It is used to provide

a flat machined surface on the workpart in a localized area.
Drills and Drilling Operations

10
Universal bits
• These drill bits can be used in wood, metal, plastic, and most other
materials.

Twist drill bits

• The twist drill bit is the type produced in largest quantity today. It
comprises a cutting point at the tip of a cylindrical shaft with helical flutes;
the flutes act as an Archimedean screw and lift swarf out of the hole.
• The twist drill bit was invented by Steven A. Morse of
East Bridgewater, Massachusetts in 1861. The original method of
manufacture was to cut two grooves in opposite sides of a round bar, then
to twist the bar (giving the tool its name) to produce the helical flutes.
Nowadays, the drill bit is usually made by rotating the bar while moving it
past a grinding wheel to cut the flutes in the same manner as
cutting helical gears.
• Twist drill bits range in diameter from 0.051 to 89 mm and can be as long
as 650 mm.

11
• The most common twist drill (sold in general hardware stores) has a point
angle of 118 degrees, acceptable for use in wood, metal, plastic, and most
other materials, although it does not perform as well as using the optimum
angle for each material. In most materials it will not tend to wander or dig
in.

• A more aggressive (acute) angle, such as 90 degrees, is suited for very soft
plastics and other materials; it would wear rapidly in hard materials. The
bit will generally be self-starting and cut very quickly.

• A shallower angle, such as 150 degrees, is suited for drilling steels and
other tougher materials. This style of bit requires a starter hole, but will not
bind or suffer premature wear so long as a suitable feed rate is used.

12
The body of a twist drill has two spiral flutes which usually have a 30° helical
angle. These flutes act as a passageway for chip extraction from the hole and
for coolant to enter the hole (however, cooling is not effective since chips and
coolant move in opposite directions).

The thickness of the drill between the flutes, also called the web, provides
support over the length of the drill body.

13
Three Main Parts
of a Drill
Point

Body

Shank

14
• Drill can be defined as a
rotary end cutting tool
having one or more cutting
lips, and having one or
more helical or straight
flutes for the passage of
chips and the admission of
a cutting fluid.

Nomenclature and geometry of conventional twist drill

The figure below depicts a twist drill – the most commonly used drill bit.

Twist drill bit

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The figures below depicts a twist drill – the most commonly used drill bit.

Twist drill with internal coolant hole

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Figure : Geometry and
shape of general purpose
drill

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 Tool Geometry

– Rake angle – controls direction of chip flow

– Cutting edges – affects surface finish and tool-tip strength
– Nose radius – affects surface finish

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Excessive clearance results in lack of support behind cutting edge with
quick dulling and poor tool life.

Clearance angle behind cutting lip for general purposes is 8º to 12º.

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 Nomenclature and Geometry of a Twist
Drill
• Three main components are the:
– Shank
– Body
– Point

Shank - This is the portion which is “clamped”

to provide the drive. Straight shank for drill up
to ½”. Shank is equal to body diameter. Above
½”, shank can be tapered or reduced.
Body
 Flutes - Helical grooves cut around the
body which form the cutting edges
Allow coolant to flow to the cutting
edge
Allow chips to be withdrawn
 Margin- Narrow raised section of the body.
Provides full body to hole support to help
keep it aligned as it drills.
 Body clearance - Reduced section of the
drill between the flutes and margin. Used
to reduce friction between drill and
workpiece
 – Web- Thin section in the center of
the drill which forms a “core” for
the drill. This feature increases as
it extends to the shank. Forms the
chisel edge of the drill.
• Point - Chisel edge of the drill.
– The spiral, or rate of twist in the
drill, controls the rate of chip
removal in a drill. A fast spiral
drill is used in high feed rate
applications under low spindle
speeds, where removal of a large
volume of swarf is required. Low
spiral drills are used in cutting
applications where high cutting
speeds are traditionally used, and
where the material has a tendency
to gall on the drill or otherwise
clog the hole, such as aluminum
or copper.
– The point angle is determined by the
material the drill will be operating in.
Harder materials require a larger point
angle, and softer materials require a
sharper angle. The correct point angle
for the hardness of the material
controls wandering, chatter, hole shape,
wear rate, and other characteristics.
– The lip angle determines the amount of
support provided to the cutting edge. A
greater lip angle will cause the drill to
cut more aggressively under the same
amount of point pressure as a drill with
a smaller lip angle. Both conditions can
cause binding, wear, and eventual
catastrophic failure of the tool. The
proper amount of lip clearance is
determined by the point angle.
•
Classifications
Classification Based on Construction
– Solid Drills: Those made of one piece of material such as high speed steel
– Tipped Solid Drills: Those having a body of one material with cutting lips made of another
material brazed or otherwise bonded in place
– Composite Drills: Those having cutting portions mechanically held in place
• Classification Based on Methods of Holding or Driving
– Straight Shank Drills: Those having cylindrical shanks which may be the same or different
diameter than the body of the drill; the shanks may be made with or without driving flats,
tang, grooves or threads
– Taper Shank Drills: Those having conical shanks suitable for direct fitting into tapered holes
in machine spindles, driving sleeves or sockets; tapered shanks generally have a driving tang
– Taper Shank Square Drills: Those having tapered shanks with four flat sides for fitting a
rachet or brace
– Shell Core Drills: Core drills mountable on arbors specifically designed for the purpose;
commonly used with shell reamer arbors

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 – Threaded Shank Drills: Those made with threaded shanks generally used in close
center multiple spindle applications or portable angle drilling tools
– Beaded Shank Bits: Drills with flat shanks having raised beads parallel to the axis
• Classification Based on Number of Flutes
– Two-Flute Drills: The conventional type of twist drill used for originating holes
– Single-Flute Drills: Those having only one flute commonly used for originating holes
– Three-Flute Drills (Core Drills): Drills commonly used for enlarging and finishing,
drilled, cast, or punched holes; they will not produce original holes
– Four-Flute Drills (Core Drills): Used interchangeably with three-flute drills; they are
of similar construction except for the number of flutes
• Classification Based on Hand of Cut
– Right-Hand Cut: When viewed from the cutting point the counterclockwise rotation of
a drill in order to cut; the great majority of drills are made right hand
– Left-Hand Cut: When viewed from the cutting point the clockwise rotation of a drill in
order to cut

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 Cutting Tools for Drilling Operations
• Twist Drill: The twist drill is the most common type of drill. It has two cutting
edges and two helical flutes that continue over the length of the drill body. The
drill also consists of a neck and a shank that can be either straight or tapered. A
tapered shank id fitted by the wedge action into the tapered socket of the spindle
and has a tang that goes into a slot in the spindle socket, thus acting as a solid
means for transmitting rotation. Straight shank drills are held in a drill chuck that
is, in turn, fitted into the spindle socket in the same way as tapered shank drills.
Twist drill

Core Drill: A core drill consists of the chamfer, body, neck and
shank. This type of drill may have three or four flutes and an equal
number of margins, which ensures superior guidance, thus
resulting in high machining accuracy.

Spade Drill: A spade drill is used for drilling large

holes of 90 mm or more. The design of this type of
Core drilling: to
drill results in a marked saving in tool cost as well increase diameter of
as in tangible reduction in tool weight that existing holes
facilitates its ease of handling. Moreover, this drill
is easy to grind.
Spade drill: for
large, deep holes

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• Step Drill: A multiple diameter drill with one set of drill
lands which are ground to different diameters

Step drill: for stepped holes

Gun Drill: A gun drill is used for drilling deep

hole. All gun drills are straight-fluted, and each
has a single cutting edge. A hole in the body
acts as a conduit to transmit coolant under
considerable pressure to the tip of the drill.
Gun drill with holes for coolant

Center Drill: Center drill bits are used in metalworking to

provide a starting hole for a larger-sized drill bit or to make a
conical indentation in the end of a workpiece in which to
mount a lathe center. In either use, as the drill is either
establishing the center of a hole or making a conical hole for a
lathe center. However, the true purpose of a center drill is the
latter task, while the former task is best done with a spotting
drill.
Characteristics

• The spiral, or rate of twist in the drill, controls the rate of chip removal in
a drill.
• A fast spiral drill is used in high feed rate applications under low spindle
speeds, where removal of a large volume of swarf is required.
• Low spiral drills are used in cutting applications where high cutting speeds
are traditionally used, and where the material has a tendency to gall on the
drill or otherwise clog the hole, such as aluminum or copper.

28
• The point angle, or the angle formed at the tip of the drill, is determined
by the material the drill will be operating in. Harder materials require a
larger point angle, and softer materials require a sharper angle. The correct
point angle for the hardness of the material controls wandering, chatter,
hole shape, wear rate, and other characteristics.

• The lip angle determines the amount of support provided to the cutting
edge. A greater lip angle will cause the drill to cut more aggressively under
the same amount of point pressure as a drill with a smaller lip angle. Both
conditions can cause binding, wear, and eventual catastrophic failure of the
tool. The proper amount of lip clearance is determined by the point angle.

• A very acute point angle has more web surface area presented to the
work at any one time, requiring an aggressive lip angle, where a flat
drill is extremely sensitive to small changes in lip angle due to the
small surface area supporting the cutting edges.

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 Tool geometry
Workpiece
Point angle Helix angle Lip relief angle
material
Brass 90 to 118 0 to 20 12 to 26

Cast iron 90 to 118 24 to 32 7 to 20

Mild steel 118 to 135 24 to 32 7 to 24

Stainless steel 118 to 135 24 to 32 7 to 24

Plastics 60 to 90 0 to 20 12 to 26

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The most important properties in tool materials are:
• Toughness
• Hot Hardness
• Wear resistance

There is always a trade-off between these properties.

For example, increasing the hot hardness and wear resistance of the cutting tool
generally results in a reduction in toughness.

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Drill bit shank

• The shank is the part of a drill bit grasped by the chuck of a drill. Different
styles of shank/chuck combination deliver different performance, such as
allowing higher torque or greater centering accuracy.

  Most drills for consumer use have straight shanks. For heavy duty drilling
in industry, drills with tapered shanks are sometimes used.
• The diameter-to-length ratio of the drill bit is usually between 1:1 and
1:10. The higher the ratio, the greater the technical challenge of producing
good work.

Types of shank:
• Brace shank , Straight shank, Hex shank, SDS shank
• Triangle shank, Morse taper shank, Square shank

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Brace drill bit shank

• At first, the tapered shank was just rammed into a square hole in the end of the
drill. Over time, various chuck designs have been invented, and modern chucks
can grasp and drive this shank effectively.
• Easy to make in a forge
• Very wide tolerances allowable (not very precise)
• Moderate torque transmission but without the slippage common to round shanks
• Hard to grasp with any precision without the proper chuck

33
Straight drill bit shank

• The straight shank is the most usual style on modern drill bits, by number
manufactured. It is almost always made the same diameter as the drill bit,
for economy. It's then held in a 3-jaw drill chuck. Very small bits can have
straight shanks larger than the drill diameter, often for holding in a
standard size collet. Large drill bits can have straight shanks smaller than
their drill diameter, so that medium-size chucks can be used to drill large
holes. Such a drill bit is called reduced-shank or a blacksmith's drill.
• very accurate centering
• low torque transmission

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Hexagonal shank

• The flats of a hex shank can either be machined on a round shank, as in the photograph, or can be the
natural flats of hex bar stock. A hex shank can be grasped by a 3-jaw drill chuck, or can be held in a
custom chuck specifically for hex shanks.
• High torque transmission
• moderately accurate centring
• Cannot be held in a collet

Hex drill bit shank

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SDS shank

The SDS bit was developed by Bosch in 1975 and the name comes from
the German "Steck – Dreh – Sitz" (Insert – Twist – Stay).

The SDS shank has the advantage of a simple spring-loaded chuck, so that
bits can be chucked with a simple and quick hand action. Further, the
shank and chuck are uniquely suited to hammer drilling in stone and
concrete. The drill bit is not held solidly in the chuck, but can slide back
and forth like a piston.

The hammer of the drill acts to accelerate only the drill bit itself, and not
the large mass of the chuck, which makes hammer drilling with an SDS
shank drill bit much more productive than with other types of shank. So,
SDS shanks are most often seen on masonry drills, for which hammer
drilling action is most helpful.

36
• Can only be held in an SDS chuck
• Not very accurate centering
• High torque transmission

Fig : SDS-plus drill bit shank

SDS Plus (TE-C) SDS Top (TE-T) SDS Max (TE-Y) Hilti TE-S

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Triangle drill bit shank

• The triangle shank is almost always made by machining three flats on

round bar stock. It is intended as a minor modification of a straight shank,
still allowing it to be held in a 3-jaw drill chuck, but allowing higher torque
transmission and limited slipping.
• Moderately accurate centering
• Cannot be held in a collet

38
Morse taper shank

• The Morse taper twist drill bits are used in metalworking. The full range of
tapers is from 0 to 7.
• The Morse taper allows the bit to be mounted directly into the spindle of a
drill, lathe tailstock or (with the use of adapters) into the spindle of
milling machines. It is a self locking (or self holding) taper of approximately
5/8" per foot that allows the torque to be transferred to the drill bit by the
friction between the taper shank and the socket.
• Cannot be held in a chuck or collet
• High torque transmission provided the bit is driven hard into the workpiece
• Very accurate centering
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Materials:
Steels:

• Soft low carbon steel bits are used only in wood, as they do not hold an edge
and require frequent sharpening.
• Bits made from high carbon steel are an improvement on low-carbon steel
due to the hardening and tempering capabilities of the material. These bits can
be used on wood or metal, but lose their temper, resulting in a soft cutting
edge, if overheated.
• High speed steel (HSS) is a form of tool steel; HSS bits are much more
resistant to heat. They can be used to drill metal, hardwood, and most other
materials at greater cutting speeds than carbon steel bits, and have largely
replaced carbon steels in commercial applications.
• Cobalt steel alloys are variations on high speed steel which contain more
cobalt. Their main advantage is that they hold their hardness at much higher
temperatures, so they are used to drill stainless steel and other hard materials.
The main disadvantage of cobalt steels is that they are more brittle than
standard HSS.

40
Others:
• Tungsten carbide and other carbides are extremely hard materials that can
drill in virtually all materials while holding an edge longer than other bits. Due
to their brittleness and high cost they are mainly used for drill tips, small
pieces of hard material fixed or brazed onto the tip of a bit made of less hard
metal. However, it is becoming common in job shops to use solid carbide
drills, and in certain industries, most notably PCB drills.
• Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) is among the hardest of all tool materials and
is therefore extremely wear-resistant. It consists of a layer of diamond
particles, typically about 0.5 mm (0.019") thick, bonded as a sintered mass to a
tungsten carbide support. Bits are fabricated using this material by either
brazing small segments to the tip of the tool to form the cutting edges, or by
sintering PCD into a vein in the tungsten carbide "nib". The nib can later be
brazed to a carbide shaft and ground to complex geometries that cause braze
failure in the smaller "segments". PCD bits are typically used in the
automotive, aerospace, and other industries to drill abrasive aluminum alloys,
carbon fiber reinforced plastics and other abrasive materials, and in
applications where machine downtime to replace or sharpen worn drills is
exceptionally costly.

41
Drill Coatings:
• Black oxide is an inexpensive black coating. A black oxide coating provides
heat resistance and lubricity, as well as corrosion resistance. These result in a
longer drill life than the typical uncoated high-speed steel drill.
• Titanium nitride (TiN) is a very hard ceramic material, and when used to coat a
high-speed steel bit (usually twist bits), can extend the cutting life by three or
more times. A titanium nitride bit cannot be properly sharpened, as the new edge
will not have the coating, and will not have any of the benefits the coating
provided.
• Titanium aluminum nitride (TiAN) is another coating frequently used. It is
considered superior to TiN and can extend tool life five or more times.
• Titanium carbon nitride (TiCN) is another coating and is also superior to TiN.
• Diamond powder is used as an abrasive, most often for cutting tile, stone, and
other very hard materials. Large amounts of heat are generated, and diamond
coated bits often have to be water cooled to prevent damage to the bit or the
workpiece.
• Zirconium nitride has also been used as a drill bit coating for some Craftsman
tools.

42
TiAlN Coating:

Titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN) has proven more effective than TiN or
TiCN in protecting tools from heat, because it has a higher oxidation
temperature (1450° F). TiAlN can withstand higher temperatures without
breaking down and degrading the tool substrate. Furthermore, when
TiAlN's oxidation threshold is exceeded, its outer surface transforms into
aluminum oxide, which has excellent hot hardness, low thermal
conductivity, and high chemical stability. As a result, most of the heat
generated by the cutting operation flows into the chips rather than the
cutting tool. Furthermore, TiAlN provides the increased lubricity typical of
PVD coatings.

43
• Multilayer coating technology has become so common that to find a single layer of
one material on a tool is unusual. The basic theory underlying use of multiple coating
layers is that each layer has its own function. One layer may have high hardness,
another chemical wear resistance, and another oxidation resistance. Because
machining processes result in many types of wear environments, multilayer coatings
can add to a tool's multipurpose capability.
• Generally, layers in CVD coatings are thicker than those in PVD coatings--on the
order of microns thick, versus as thin as a few nanometers for PVD coatings.
• Use of PVD has resulted in economical production of coatings with hundreds or even
thousands of very thin layers. In PVD coatings, multiple layers can help distribute
built-in internal stresses more evenly in the coating to improve fracture toughness.
• Materials used to make up the various layers of a multilayer coating depend on the
application. Layers may consist of several different materials, or may be alternating
layers of only a couple of materials. A coating with alternating layers of Al 2O3 and
TiN, for example, is said to be especially effective in high-speed machining of cast
irons and steels.
• Most often, the top layer of a multilayer coating is TiN. This material not only
provides the gold color familiar to so many machinists, but also allows fast
identification of worn tool edges.

44
– Various surface treatments such as cyaniding and nitriding are applied to high-
speed-steel drills in order to increase the hardness of the outer layer of material.

– Special polishing and black oxiding are beneficial to minimize friction between
the drill and the workpiece or the chips in the flutes.

Black Titanium
Oxide Nitride

45
• Physical vapor deposition is a viable process for applying hard coatings
to cemented carbide tools.
• In PVD, the coating is deposited in a vacuum. The metal species of the
coating, obtained via evaporation or sputtering, reacts with a gaseous
species (nitrogen or ammonia, for example) in the chamber and is
deposited onto the substrate.

46
• The chief difference between PVD and CVD is the former's relatively low
processing temperature--500ºC (930ºF). This lower processing temperature
results in multiple benefits for PVD coatings. For example, the grain
structure of the coating is very fine. The result is a very smooth, bright
coating with a low coefficient of friction. And, PVD coatings are
essentially free of the thermal cracks that are common in CVD coatings.

• Another advantage of the PVD process is the ability to coat tools with
sharp edges and complex chipbreaker geometries.

• PVD coatings also have very high built-in compressive stresses that help
them resist crack initiation and propagation. Minimizing crack formation
and propagation can help prevent premature tool failure, improving tool
edge security. This is especially important in, for example, untended
machining operations.

47
Drill wear

48
Questions

?
Thank You
 Twist drills:
• Drills with no point angle are used in situations where a blind, flat-bottomed hole is
required.

• Long series drills are extended length twist drills. They are not the best tool for
routinely drilling deep holes as they require frequent withdrawal to clear the flutes
of swarf and prevent drill breakages. Gun drills are the preferred drills for deep
hole drilling.

8 mm drills - long-series morse, plain morse,

Twist drill bit cutting edges Twist drill bit with Morse taper shank
jobber

50
Step drill bits

• A step drill is a drill bit that has had the tip ground down to a different
diameter.

• The transition between this ground diameter and the original diameter is
either straight, to form a counterbore, or angled, to form a countersink.

• The advantage to this style drill is that both diameters have the same flute
characteristics, which keeps the drill from clogging when drilling in softer
materials, such as aluminum.

51
Hole saw
• Hole saws take the form of a small open cylinder with saw-teeth on the
open edge parallel to the axis of the drill. They can be used to make large
holes in wood, sheet metal and other materials.
Metal drills
Center and spotting drill bits
• Center drill bits are used in metalworking to provide a starting hole for a
larger-sized drill bit or to make a conical indentation in the end of a
workpiece. In either use, the name seems appropriate, as the drill is either
establishing the center of a hole or making a conical hole for a lathe center.
However, the true purpose of a center drill is the latter task, while the
former task is best done with a spotting drill .

Fig.: Center drills, numbers

1 to 6
52
Use in making holes for lathe centers
• Center drills are meant to create a conical hole for "between centers"
manufacturing processes (typically lathe or cylindrical-grinder work). That is,
they provide a location for a (live, dead or driven) center to locate the part
about an axis.
Use in spotting hole centers
• Traditional twist drill bits may tend to wander when started on an unprepared
surface. Once a bit wanders off-course it is difficult to bring it back on center.
A center drill bit frequently provides a reasonable starting point as it is short
and therefore has a reduced tendency to wander when drilling is started.
• While the above is a common use of center drills, it is a technically incorrect
practice and should not be considered for production use. The correct tool to
start a traditionally-drilled hole (a hole drilled by a high-speed steel (HSS)
twist drill) is a spotting drill, or a spot drill, as they are referred to in the U.S.
The included angle of the spotting drill should be the same as, or greater than,
the conventional drill bit so that the drill bit will then start without undue
stress on the drill's corners, which would otherwise cause premature failure of
the drill and a loss of hole quality.

53
• Most modern solid-carbide drills should not be used in conjunction
with a spot drill or a center drill. They are specifically designed to
start their own hole. Usually, spot drilling will cause premature failure
of the carbide drill and a certain loss of hole quality. If it is deemed
necessary to chamfer a hole with a spot or center drill when a carbide
drill is used, it is best practice to do so after the hole is drilled.

• The small starting tip has a tendency to break, so it is economical and

practical to make the drill bit double-ended.

54
 Core drill bit

• Three-fluted core drill as used on castings

• A core drill bit can be, as pictured, a bit used to enlarge an existing hole.
The existing hole may be the result of a core from a casting or a stamped
(punched) hole. The name comes from its first use, for drilling out the hole
left by a foundry core, a cylinder placed in a mould for a casting that leaves
an irregular hole in the product. This core drill bit is solid.

55
• These core drill bits are similar in appearance to reamers as they have no
cutting point or means of starting a hole. They have 3 or 4 flutes which
enhances the finish of the hole and ensures the bit cuts evenly.

• Core drill bits differ from reamers in the amount of material they are
intended to remove. A reamer is only intended to enlarge a hole a slight
amount which, depending on the reamers size, may be anything from 0.1
millimeter to perhaps a millimeter. A core drill bit may be used to double the
size of a hole.
• Using an ordinary two-flute twist drill to enlarge the hole resulting from a
casting core will not produce a clean result, the result will possibly be out of
round, off center and generally of poor finish. The two fluted drill also has a
tendency to grab on any protuberance (such as flash) which may occur in the
product.
• A quite different core drill bit is a hollow cylinder which will cut an annular
hole. A diamond core drill bit is intended to cut an annulus in the workpiece.

56
Straight fluted bit

• Straight fluted drill bits do not have a helical twist like twist drills do. They
are used when drilling copper or brass because they have less of a tendency
to "dig in" or grab the material.

Trepan

• A trepan, sometimes called a BTA Drill (after the Boring and Trepanning
Association), is a drill that cuts an annulus and leaves a center core.
Trepans usually have multiple carbide inserts and rely on water to cool the
cutting tips and to flush chips out of the hole. Trepans are often used to cut
large diameters and deep holes. Typical drill diameters are 6" to 14" and
hole depth from 12" up to 71 feet.

57
Wood drill bits

Lip and spur drill bits

• The lip and spur drill bit is a variation of the twist drill which is optimized for
drilling in wood and plastic. It is also called the brad point bit or dowelling bit.
• Conventional twist drill bits tend to wander when presented to a flat workpiece. For
metalwork, this is countered by drilling a pilot hole with a spotting drill. In wood,
there is another possible solution, that used in the lip and spur drill. The centre of
the drill bit is given not the straight chisel of the twist drill, but a spur with a sharp
point and four sharp corners to cut the wood. The sharp point of the spur simply
pushes into the soft wood to keep the drill bit in line.

10.5 mm lip and spur bit

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• In metal, the lip and spur drill is confined to drilling only the thinnest and softest sheet metals
in a drill press. The drills have an extremely fast cutting tool geometry: no point angle and a
large (considering the flat cutting edge) lip angle causes the edges to take a very aggressive
cut with relatively little point pressure.

• Lip and spur drill bits are ordinarily available in diameters from 3 mm to 16 mm.

Wood spade bits

• Spade bits are used for rough boring in wood. They tend to cause splintering when they
emerge from the workpiece. They are flat, with a centering point and two cutters. The cutters
often are equipped with spurs in an attempt to ensure a cleaner hole. With their small shank
diameters relative to their boring diameters, spade bit shanks often have flats forged or ground
into them to prevent slipping in drill chucks. Spade bits are also sometimes referred to as
"paddle bits."

Spade bits
Tiny spade bit 59
• Forstner bits

• Forstner bits, also known as Forstner flange bits or webfoot augers, named after their inventor,
Benjamin Forstner, bore precise, flat-bottomed holes in wood, in any orientation with respect to
the wood grain. They can cut on the edge of a block of wood, and can cut overlapping holes. They
require great force to push them into the material, so are normally used in drill presses or lathes
rather than in portable drills.
• The bit includes a center point which guides it throughout the cut (and incidentally spoils the
otherwise flat bottom of the hole). The cylindrical cutter around the perimeter shears the wood
fibers at the edge of the bore, and also helps guide the bit into the material more precisely. The
tool in the image has a total of two cutting edges in this cylinder. Sawtooth Forstner bits are
available, which include many more cutting edges in the cylinder. These cut faster, but produce a
more ragged hole.
• Forstner bits have radial cutting edges to plane off the material at the bottom of the hole. The bit
in the image has two radial edges. Other designs may have more. Forstner bits have no
mechanism to clear chips from the hole, and therefore must be pulled out periodically.
• Bits are commonly available in sizes from 8 mm to 50 mm diameter. Sawtooth bits are available
up to 100 mm (4") diameter.

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Center bits

• The center bit is optimized for drilling in wood with a hand brace. Many different designs have
been produced.
• The center of the bit is a tapered screw thread. This screws into the wood as the drill is turned,
and pulls the bit into the wood. There is no need for any force to push the bit into the
workpiece, only the torque to turn the bit. This is ideal for a bit for a hand tool. The radial
cutting edges remove a slice of wood of thickness equal to the pitch of the central screw for
each rotation of the bit.
• The edge of the bit has a sharpened spur to cut the fibers of the wood, as in the lip and spur
drill. A radial cutting edge planes the wood from the base of the hole. In this version, there is
minimal or no spiral to remove chips from the hole. The drill must be periodically withdrawn
to clear the chips.
• Some versions have two spurs. Some have two radial cutting edges.
• Center bits are made of relatively soft steel, and can be sharpened with a file.

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Auger bits

20 mm (3/4") auger bit for wood Auger bit tip detail

• The cutting principles of the auger bit are the same as those of the center bit above.
The auger adds a long deep spiral flute for effective chip removal.

• The bit shown in the picture is a modern design for use in portable power tools,
made in the UK in about 1995. It has a single spur, a single radial cutting edge and
a single flute. Similar auger bits are made with diameters from 6 mm to 30 mm.
Augers up to 600 mm (2 feet) long are available, where the chip-clearing capability
is especially valuable for drilling deep holes.

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Gimlet bits

Gimlet bit for wood, made sometime before

1950 . Gimlet bit tip detail

• The gimlet bit is intended to be used in a hand brace for drilling into wood. It is the
usual style of bit for use in a brace for holes below about 7 mm diameter.
• The tip of the gimlet bit acts as a tapered screw, to draw the bit into the wood and
to begin forcing aside the wood fibers, without necessarily cutting them. The
cutting action occurs at the side of the broadest part of the cutter. Most drills cut the
base of the hole. The gimlet bit cuts the side of the hole.

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Other materials

Masonry drill bits

25×500 mm SDS-plus masonry bit Masonry bit tip

• The masonry bit shown here is a variation of the twist drill bit. The bulk of the tool is a relatively
soft steel, and is machined with a mill rather than ground. An insert of tungsten carbide is brazed
into the steel to provide the cutting edges.
• Masonry bits typically are used with a hammer drill. The bit is both rotated and hammered into the
workpiece; the hammering breaks up the masonry at the drill bit tip, and the rotating flutes of the
drill bit body carry away the dust. Rotating the bit brings the cutting edges onto a fresh portion of
the hole bottom with every hammer blow. Hammer drill bits often use special shank shapes such as
the common SDS type.
• Masonry bits of the style shown are commonly available in diameters from 5 mm to 40 mm.
Masonry bits up to 1000 mm (39") long can be used with hand-portable power tools, and are very
effective for installing wiring and plumbing in existing buildings.

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PCB through-hole drill bits

Two PCB drill bits. A box of #76 (0.02in, 0.508mm) PCB drill bits.
• A great many holes of very small diameter must be drilled in printed circuit
boards (PCBs) used by electronic equipment. Most PCBs are made of highly
abrasive fiberglass, which quickly wears steel drills, especially given the
hundreds or thousands of holes on most circuit boards. To solve this
problem, solid tungsten carbide twist bits, which drill quickly through the
board while providing a moderately long life, are almost always used.
Carbide PCB bits are estimated to outlast high speed steel bits by a factor of
ten or more. Other options that are out on the market and used in some
situation are a diamond drill bit, or a diamond coated drill bit.
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Questions

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